Show us your retro computers

[soviet]

[martinw]

DOS or CP/M sir

Martin

[stephen_usher]

I was only able to attach 10 images to the previous post, so here are a couple more of my machines...

Sinclair QL with Super Gold Card clone (68020 processor @24MHz), Gotek and vDriveQL (SD card based Microdrive replacement).

Atari 520STM (upgraded to 2.5MB RAM) with SF314 and 3rd party floppies.

[trixster]

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by the QL. Is there much software for it? And much of a current scene? Has it had stuff ported to it over recent years like the beeb and Commodore platforms have?

[stephen_usher]

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by the QL. Is there much software for it? And much of a current scene? Has it had stuff ported to it over recent years like the beeb and Commodore platforms have?

There's nowhere near as much as for many of the other platforms and the hardware is so very different from others that I don't know of any porting from other platforms. The biggest problems are with the graphics sub-system, which was never designed for games. Only 8 colours in the low resolution mode and no palette switching. Also, the sound system is possibly worse than the ZX Spectrum as it's controlled by the keyboard processor.

There is still an active, if small, development scene though it seems to be more hardware tinkering than software. Do a Google search for the QL Forum.

[1024MAK]

Do a Google search for the QL Forum.

https://www.qlforum.co.uk/
Especially this sub-forum https://www.qlforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=10

Mark

[vanpeebles]

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by the QL. Is there much software for it? And much of a current scene? Has it had stuff ported to it over recent years like the beeb and Commodore platforms have?

Get one and get yourself over to the forum There are people porting software and stuff. A lad I know Xora, has ported a number of games and stuff recently. For example https://www.qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1788

There is also a huge software collection DIlwyn's excellent QL site http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/

I think the QL is a superb computer, it's just so quirky and extremely unique, there is nothing else like it. 4 colour hi res, green and red mode is so distinctive.

I've also made my own adventure game on the QL, and that is nearly complete and ready for release

[trixster]

That’s a fascinating forum! Thanks for the links

[vanpeebles]

On a totally unrelated note, I've been doing some retro computer liveries for the game Gran Turismo Sport on PS4.






I'll be working on an Acorn one at some point!

[1024MAK]

You have way too much time on your hands



Mark

[vanpeebles]

Horace and the Spiddas

[stuslayer]

Mine is very humble, but hopefully still something to appreciate! The A3010 is currently hooked up to my 25" AOC monitor, I have a small (15") old flat panel I may use, but I'm also considering getting the Benq BL702A that is recommended for these machines, and having it on a dual monitor arm next to the AOC (it might look a bit strange but good for space saving).

Then I have my little 8 bit area, with my Electron fettled by Mark at Retroclinic to get it working, and with Ramtop's ElkSD interface for getting stuff onto it. It's the earlier version without a case or RAM expansion. I also got a RGB to SCART adapter to use it on the big TV, which works really well. The Speccy is something I picked up for cheaps and it was working but I think some of the memory chips have gone. I need to send it off for repair. And an old Dixons tape drive which works!

[stephen_usher]

That Electron's got quite a nice tan.

[stuslayer]

I love the aged look of 80's computers. It's a bit like an old man's permatan